


Paint Me In Lavender...

by v_exo_s



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Disabilities, Disabled Character, Family Drama, First Dates, Fluff, Foster homes, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I'll add tags as we go, Jericrew, Leo Manfred Redemption, M/M, Markus is Adopted, Markus is half blind, Slow Burn, and partially deaf, probably angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:28:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23023261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v_exo_s/pseuds/v_exo_s
Summary: ...draw me in roses.-Markus just wanted to recover and live his life to the fullest, getting through college so he can do what he loves most; art.But what if an unfortunate encounter leads to a very fortunate friendship?(hiatus / maybe discontinued - lost motivation)
Relationships: Markus & Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	1. Thunder Rolls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Sorry, this first chapter is a lot of establishing and some slice of life, I hope you like it nonetheless! :D
> 
> ALSO a big thank you to my bud [jojotaro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jojotaro/pseuds/jojotaro) for essentially being my beta-
> 
> Also, if you'd like to come over and say hey, or yell at me for things I have planned for later on, I have a D:BH server I just set up!  
> [Join me in Jericho!](https://discord.gg/euFrT7n)

Lightning struck and thunder crashed loudly, shaking the Manfred home. This caused Markus to stir. With a groan, the young man shifted and rolled over in his bed, opening his right eye to complete darkness. He heaved a sigh, sitting up and scrubbing the heel of his palm over the eye he had opened, having momentarily forgotten he couldn’t see. He peeked from his good eye to check the time, having been so rudely awakened by Mother Nature.

6:28, it read. Too early for him to get up, officially, but who’s to say he couldn’t get a head start on his day?

He yawned, stretching his arms over his head before he lazily got out of bed, slouched over a tad. Markus stumbled over to his dresser, catching himself on the edge before he accidentally tumbled to the floor. He probably should have waited for all of his limbs to wake up before he got up, he’d thought with a huff of a laugh.

He shrugged out of his pajamas before pulling on a button-down and a jumper, with a faded grey pair of jeans. After getting dressed, he made his way to the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror, at his face and his prosthetic eye, hand moving to hover over his eye cautiously. 

_An unfortunate accident._ The words echoed in his ears like it happened yesterday. An _accident_ , sure. A drunk driver practically pile-driving his car into the guardrails on the road, until he was pushed off. He struggled with the wheel, pressed the gas, the brake, anything and everything to get away from the person pushing him off the road, but he couldn’t.

He shook his head to rid himself of the memories, a trembling sigh escaped his lips as he tilted his head, picking up a small case off the counter and placing it gently into his front pocket.

Walking back to his room, he scanned his nightstand for his wallet, carefully putting it into his back pocket before heading downstairs to begin preparing breakfast for his dad.

He loves Carl, he knows the man isn’t his birth father, but he still raised him, instilled his love of art and critical thinking, seeing the world from all sides, yet with a grain of salt. He gave a fond smile thinking of the old painter while he cooked the usual breakfast for him and his father.

After he finished cooking, setting the plates of food in a warmer to keep them from cooling too much, Markus went back up the stairs, checking the clock on the wall beside the stairs before he walked up. 7:03, time for Carl to wake up. He gripped the railing to make sure he didn’t lose his balance, walking up the stairs to his father’s room. He gently rapped his knuckles on the door, not hearing much on the other side, just the faint ringing he is used to in his ears.

He takes that as saying Carl is still sleeping. He gives another small smile, opening the door and walking in, crossing the room to the windows. He draws the curtain, letting in the gentle orange glow of the rising sun through the foggy clouds wash over the room, the rain having had cleared up, “Time to wake up, dad, you need to take your medicine and I have breakfast prepared downstairs.”

This caused Carl to stir, an indignant grunt coming from the older man, “So early today, Markus.” He rasped. This drew a small chuckle from Markus.

“Yes, quite unfortunate. The thunder doesn’t lend well to my rest, I’m afraid, and I _do_ start school back today, though.” He gave a sigh, _finally_ , he added mentally.

The aftermath of the wreck led to a period in which he had to drop school as a whole to recover and readapt to life, having lost part of his vision and some hearing, as well as some deep lacerations that made it difficult to move around.

This caused Carl to give a thoughtful hum, “It has been a while since you’ve been able to socialize outside of me, or the occasional time Leo has dropped by. It will be good for you to be getting back to college.” Markus gave a small shrug, walking over to a dresser in the room to collect the medicine Carl needed, walking over to the side of the bed as he pulled the dosage into the syringe.

“Relax for me, dad,” Markus mumbled, taking Carl’s arm in his hand. He found where he normally injected the medicine for his dad, sticking him and pushing the plunger down. Carl grit his teeth and Markus gave a soft apology, “I know, it never gets easier.” He sighed softly, pulling the needle from his father’s arm to dispose of it.

Once Markus threw the sharp out, he walked over to his father and began to pick him up gingerly, “Time to go to the bathroom and get a shower-” He gave a small huff as he carried Carl. His few months of limited movement frankly removed a bit of his muscle so carrying Carl wasn’t as easy a task as it previously was, but he managed. 

Markus carried his dad to the bathroom, helping him through the routine of daily activities. It was almost dull, but he was getting back into old routines, it almost made him feel as though nothing had changed. Everything is as it used to be.

Once finished in the bathroom, Markus helped Carl get dressed, carrying his dad to his wheelchair before placing him in the seat. He moved around to the back of the chair, pushing it to the stairs so they could move to the lower level of the house. Carl’s chair was positioned by a lift that carried his chair to the downstairs foyer.

Markus gripped the railing opposite of Carl as he made his way down the stairs to not stumble or fall, reaching the bottom before the lift so he could collect the chair and guide it to the kitchen table for a small little family breakfast before his first day back to college.

Markus gave a little hum, “I know Leo is coming to pick me up, he isn’t stopping for breakfast, is he? That completely slipped my mind to make food for him too.” He asked his dad before he walked to the kitchen to collect their food from the warmer.

Carl gave a small chuckle, shaking his head, “He never does stay long, but with you going to college now, he’ll be helping take responsibility, if you will.” Markus smirked as he came back.

“He’s gotten a lot better dad, he seems… I don’t know, happier?” Markus had a bit of a whimsical smile as he thought of how far his brother had come after attending rehab. He was honestly extremely proud of him.

Carl gave a small nod as he started to eat, and the rest of their breakfast went on in silence. Eventually, the two finished, and Markus collected their dishes before going to the kitchen to clean them, putting their plates, silverware, and cups in the strainer, as well as the pans he used. Everything cleaned, he gave a small hum as he walked back out, “Would you like to go to your studio, the library, or just stay in the living room for the time being?”

Carl just chuckled, “Go grab your things, I’m sure Leo will be here soon, don’t keep him waiting. I may be getting closer to kicking the bucket than I’d like to admit, but I can still do _some_ things by myself.”

Markus gave a little huff of a laugh again, more genuine than the sarcastic laugh he gave himself earlier that morning, “I know, dad. Thank you.” 

He walked upstairs, grabbing his bag and everything he would need for the day, keeping his schedule in his front pocket so he wouldn’t lose it. He made sure to have his phone as well, the same pocket as his schedule so he wouldn’t lose either. The young man quickly walked back down, calling out to his dad, “I love you and I’ll see you later, don’t have too much fun while I’m gone!”

“I won’t or I’d be dead!” Carl shot back, his laugh echoing through the house, leaving a bright smile on Markus’ face as he exited the house. He waited outside for a couple of minutes, a car pulling up in front of the house. It was in pretty decent condition, save for a few dings and scratches here and there; older, but still well-loved.

Markus ran down the steps, opening the passenger-side door and climbing in, plopping his bag at his feet in the floorboard before he buckled in.

“Hey, Markus, how are you holdin’ up this morning?”

There was a sense of peace that washed over him, and he smiled at his brother as they pulled out of the driveway to make their way to Detroit University.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you made it to the end! Thank you!
> 
> I'm gonna let you in on a fun fact.
> 
> Frankly, this is the first fic I've written that I'm even attempting to stick to, and we'll see if I can finish it. 
> 
> This is just a little idea I had that started out as a stupid thought, honestly, because I was at work, thinking about the D:BH college AUs I've seen floating around, and also just thought how most people write human!Markus with pre-existing heterochromia, when in the game he gets another 'droid's eye from the Junkyard, and it just kind of... spiraled from there, not gonna lie. So I hope you all will enjoy this wacky adventure through college wherever it may lead!
> 
> Anyway! Comments are greatly appreciated, and if anyone has any questions thus far, I'd be more than happy to answer them as best I can (without spoilers ;) )
> 
> Also, I promise Simon gets introduced next chapter-


	2. New Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't mean for there to be such a long gap between this chapter and the last, I got caught up with college, work, and then on top of that my body decided, "Ah, yes... What a fine time to catch the flu-"
> 
> SO, ya boi is suffering, but I'm here and I'm recovering lmao
> 
> Also! I have a D:BH Discord Server if anyone is interested in coming to hang out, make friends, joke around, and share your creative outlets!  
> And yell at me for some not fun things I have planned in the future lmao-  
> [Join me in Jericho!](https://discord.gg/euFrT7n)

The storm started back up, low rumbles of thunder that followed distant strikes of lightning. It didn’t seem like things were panning out to be a good day, but he would manage somehow, he always did.

The calmness from first entering the car and seeing Leo had since ebbed away, especially after Leo’s greeting question, leaving Markus tense, his leg shaking as he fidgeted with his hands in his lap. Leo glanced over at his brother when he was quiet for much longer than was comfortable, giving no answer.

In truth, Markus wasn’t doing well. He still felt incomplete, he felt as though he was robbed of experiencing life fully in the way he had wanted to. But he was alive, and that’s all that mattered currently, he supposed. Despite the stress he felt in being in a car once again, he would be _okay_.

Markus and Leo weren’t entirely close, either, and only started to hang out with one another about four months before Leo went to rehab to get himself back on the ‘right path,’ so to speak. Because of this, the two weren’t skilled in conversation with one another, many of their interactions feeling forced and shaky. It was almost as if one or the other let one word be spoken out of turn, the relationship they had so precariously built would fall around them. It wasn’t easy, especially so after the accident, and it was damn near painful not being able to fully express themselves in ways that would be meaningful to each other.

Leo gave a sigh, worrying his lip between his teeth before deciding to fall onto small talk, assuming that would be the best way to try to get some conversation from Markus. He gave a gentle tap on Markus’ knee to get his attention, “So… Are you excited to finally go back to school?” He’d added a lilt of bemusement to his voice, trying to lighten the mood that hung heavily in the car. 

There was a moment of hesitation as the question registered fully with Markus, a forced, practiced smile tracing his lips. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. I've healed and rested, per my doctors' orders, so I guess I am." Markus' words were strained as he wrung his hands together, sitting ramrod straight in the seat of the car.

The older Manfred shot another worried glance at his brother, shaking his head, "Not physically, Mark. Are you… mentally, or… I don't know, _emotionally_ prepared to go back?" Comfort and asking meaningful questions to make sure others feel okay aren't exactly in Leo's Toolbelt Of Skills, so he wasn't sure how genuine the question or worry came off, his grip tightening slightly on the wheel as he looked at the road, merging into the far right lane to prepare to take the next exit. 

Markus looked over at Leo tentatively, a small smile on his lips at his brother’s concern. He huffed, “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure on that one. I hate being cooped up in the house, I love dad’s company but I want more… But at the same time, having to be around people… Knowing how badly I’ve been stumbling, and how poor my hearing is now, I know it’s going to be rough. I know I’ll struggle and have ups and downs but it’s… I’ve got this.” He seemed to relax a little, his shoulders dropping and posture slumping over a bit after giving a sigh from his speech. It felt… good to talk about some of his worries. Granted, he didn’t expound upon his troubles in detail, but it was nice to get it off his chest nonetheless.

Leo nodded in understanding, taking the exit to head to the University. He didn’t say anything else, not wanting to push Markus to talk any more than he had to. He reached over and turned the music up, loud enough he knew Markus would be able to hear it a bit without his hearing aids. They rode in silence until Leo pulled up to the closest area he could to the campus so Markus would have an easier go of getting to classes without any incident.

The younger Manfred gave a small, almost unsure smile at his older brother, nodding his head, “Thanks for the ride, Leo. I’ll see you later today. Have a good day.” Markus started opening his door and grabbing his bag after getting a response he wasn’t looking to fully catch, and he departed, giving a short wave as his brother pulled out of the parking lot.

Markus shrugged his bag onto his shoulder properly, holding the strap with one hand, and shoving his hand in his front pocket to retrieve the black case he had put in his pocket earlier that morning, quickly unzipping the small case and taking his hearing aids out, looping them around his ears and putting them in before turning them on. Satisfied with the new soft buzz of noise and student chatter around him, he zipped the case back up, putting it back into his pocket before fishing for his new schedule.

He hadn’t been to college for a year and a half and had he gone back to the same college he was attending before his accident, it wouldn’t have been an issue to navigate and find his classes from his schedule alone. However, unfortunately, Markus decided to attend a college that was a much shorter distance from home than before, yet this college also had a much larger campus than his previous one. The reason for choosing a closer college stemmed from both his new fear of cars as a whole and the need to be closer to home so it was easier for Leo to pick him up and drop him off so he wouldn’t have to drive himself and risk a possible casualty or another accident.

So, he pulled his schedule and campus map they had provided him from his pocket so he would have an easier time navigating around campus, holding the map in his left hand so it’d be easier to scan, glancing at the schedule in his right just to ensure which building and room he would need to be heading to. He tentatively took a look around at where he was in relation to his map before beginning to walk towards the building he believed was the right one, doing his best with his limited depth perception to avoid any other students walking to and from class, or to their cars to leave for the day.

He wasn’t used to being on a campus this big, looking back down at his map while he was walking to make sure he was going where he was supposed to. His head was already swimming, passing conversations sounding like static on the television, nothing but gibberish. He should have gotten someone to help him find where he was supposed to go. He should have come a day early to explore campus when it was less lively, less pressure to arrive to class on time.

He felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he bit the inside of his cheek, accidentally hitting a smaller man in the shoulder with his own as he continued on his way. He couldn’t muster anything to say in an apology lest his emotions get the better of him. He needed to get to class or find a nice secluded space to breathe and calm down. He vaguely heard a clatter, a small shout and an exclamation of protest over the ringing growing ever louder in his ears. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t listen. Nothing was making tangible sense anymore, his vision growing cloudy, shapes blurring together as more tears gathered in his eyes and he attempted to blink them away.

Everything in his being was yelling at him to leave, to call Leo to come to pick him back up, that he wasn’t ready-

His panicked thoughts were cut short by feeling his body thud against a nearby wall. He came to, the static in his head clearing slowly. The first thing he noticed was pressure against his neck, followed with the realization that his feet were hardly touching the ground below. The next thing he registered was the shorter woman in front of him that was pinning him against the wall, and from what he could see, she looked _pissed_. Something in her eyes looked almost like a volcano on the verge of eruption, lava already flowing over the top. Markus wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, he had no clue in the slightest what he had done to incur wrath as fervent as what she was displaying. Until he finally focused on what she was saying.

“Are you really too fucking above everyone else to stop for two seconds and apologize for running into someone? Are you, asshole?” She was practically growling, and he had to admit, he was… somewhat impressed by her fury, yet also very frightened that it was directed towards him.

Markus could hardly form a stammer, words caught in his throat before someone behind the woman in front of him called out, tone a coming out as firm and commanding, yet also somewhat pitying, “North, put him down. He’s in a rush, let him go. We can help Simon, really. It isn’t a big deal.”

The woman - North, he gathered - stood her ground, seeming to push a little harder at Markus’ neck, “Josh, stay out of this, this is my business, not yours.”

There was an exasperated sigh, a bit higher than how, who Markus presumed was Josh, would sound. “Actually, North, pretty sure this would be my business. Josh is right, it isn’t a big deal. Let him go, he… he looks pretty panicked, please just let him go.”

Markus strained to look over at where the voice came, spotting a head of blond hair, and noticing papers and books scattered around him. He felt the pressure at his neck loosen up, and he reached a hand to his neck, rubbing a little. He got a better look at what had happened, seeing North turn around, still glaring, to help pick up the blond’s books. _Simon, the blond was Simon_ , he concluded.

Markus took a tentative step forward, the static in his head reduced to a dull hum at the moment. He was aware he still had tears in his eyes, but he didn’t care enough to try to wipe them away, feeling that would bring more attention to his plight than he really wanted. He walked closer, causing North to let out a rough laugh before she rolled her eyes, continuing to pick up papers before the harsh Detroit winds took them away. Markus leaned down, beginning to help pick up what he could, gathering books and papers to make sure everything was put together as best as he could manage.

Markus handed Simon the things he had gathered, giving a weak smile, “Here you are, and I am very sorry for being so boorish and not even giving a word of apology. It truly is my fault, in a rush or no, I shouldn’t have just rushed off as I did.” He finished, expression falling a little as he turned away.

He gripped the strap of his bag once again as he looked at the map in his hands, started to walk off from the group, hearing small murmurs behind himself, then hearing an exchange, he kept pushing himself forward. He dropped his arm so he wouldn’t have to look at the map, in exchange for simply looking for an area to hide, a moment of reprieve from the now growing buzz that was threatening to come back.

He really should leave, he shouldn’t have started coming to college again. He really wasn’t prepared for it and he should have known. He was too stubborn, really. Too stubborn for his own good, and it got him nowhere except for in a spot of trouble, and the possibility of someone not liking him, someone he didn’t even get a chance to know. His shoulders were pulled tight, obvious tension. Nothing was going well.

He kept searching, no longer for his building, when he felt someone gently touch his shoulder, causing him to almost bolt from the shock. He needed to get out of his own head, apparently.

It took a moment for Markus to fully realize who had tapped him, only to see Simon from earlier. He was reeling, and already in a mental battle with himself before it came to a screeching halt at the sound of his voice.

“Earlier, and even now… I’m sorry, I don’t want to pry, but you don’t look okay. You’ve been zoning out, and it looked like you were either on the verge of crying or had already been crying before my friend practically assaulted you, and I am sorry for her actions. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I suppose.” He was so genuine, and Markus was almost speechless.

Markus gave a little shake of his head, another weak smile, “I’m fine, I’m the one who ran into you, really, you shouldn’t worry about me, I’m just glad you’re alright. I’ve had my share of roughness, your friend didn’t bother me. Thank you, though.” He tried to be genuine, but his words just weren’t landing. Simon’s brow was furrowed, and he shook his head, gently taking Markus’ arm in his hand as he started to walk to a secluded area.

It was a little huddle of trees and bushes that could survive the chill of Detroit this time of year, along with some benches scattered about. It seemed pretty empty and hardly used, so they would have privacy. Simon set him down on a bench, sitting next to him and looking up at him slightly, “Unfortunately, I’m not letting you off the hook that easily, stranger. I can tell something is wrong. I know we may have met under really stupid circumstances, but you can trust me. I’m Simon, by the way.” Simon smiled, really smiled, and it lit up his face. Markus could swear he felt himself relax a little bit in just his presence.

He couldn’t entirely explain it, but he gave a small bit of a laugh, running his hands over his face in exasperation of what has happened while the day has hardly started. “Well, uh. I’m Markus, it’s nice to meet you, formally.” He started, somewhat shakily. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to let one person in on why he wasn’t exactly functioning correctly at the new college he was attending.

He softly recounted to Simon that he was partially deaf, gesturing to his hearing aids and that he was quite literally half-blind, tapping his temple right next to his right eye gently. He didn’t go into details as to why, simply that he was. He explained that he was struggling to find his way to his classes, the last college he had been to had fewer buildings and was easier to navigate, and with the new disadvantages, it wasn’t making the larger campus any easier to make his way around.

Simon was nodding, following along with what Markus was saying intently. When he finished, Simon gave a bright smile, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Well, c’mon then Markus, I’d be more than happy to show you around. You may have already missed the start of your first class, and that’s okay. I’ll still show you where it is and where your others are that way it’ll be easier for you next time you have classes, sound good?”

Markus was almost taken aback. Hardly an hour ago he had run into this man, made him drop all of his things and not apologized until his friend threatened him, yet now he was offering to help him find his classes. He couldn’t muster any more words out, simply giving a faint nod.

Simon’s smile widened, and he grabbed Markus by his forearm, standing and trying to pull the other up as well. He was very excited about this tour, “Get your schedule out, and then let’s get going! No more dawdling or wallowing in your self-pity, c’mon!”

Markus thinks that he’ll like it at this new college. It may be loud, and crowded but, with a person like Simon? He couldn’t imagine it being too bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Markus: I am disabled
> 
> Markus: I am gay
> 
> Markus: I have angst
> 
> Markus: I'm new around
> 
> Simon:
> 
> Simon: You're gonna close with "new around?"
> 
> Simon: That is not the most dramatic thing you just said-
> 
> (I was originally gonna name this chapter "New In Town" but it didn't fit, let me have my joke-)


End file.
